Crying Dogs and Flower Petals
by Titania Eli
Summary: Twenty truths of Inuzuka Kiba, and the story of his life. Sometimes it hurts to live. KibaIno.


_Honestly, sometimes I see no point in writing stories. Yes, I know, writing is my passion. But I loves getting comments from people, so I could improve my writing. If you happened to drop in and read my story, please leave a review. Thanks. _

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Crying Dogs and Flower Petals

1. Kiba had been an outcast in the academy when he was a kid. The children there were afraid of his pointy teeth, slit eyes and wild tattoos. It wasn't until he met Naruto and Shikamaru and Chouji that he felt _accepted _from people outside of his clan _(family, not clan, because they all love each other)_. He regretted allowing their friendship to drift apart as they grow older.

He regrets as he watch Naruto hides his sadness behind a large grin and turned to his pranks and jokes and paints. He regrets as he watch Shikamaru sleeps in every lessons and hides his genius mind behind a lazy exterior. He regrets as he watches Chouji indulges himself in his chips and snacks and shields his big heart from everyone.

2. When he first met his team, he wasn't really happy with them.

Shino is a loner, who barely spoke ten words during their first week together, and the constant buzzing from inside his huge cloak irritates his sensitive ears _(not that he's going to tell Shino)_. Hinata is a pretty, small thing who stutters and blushes every time he tries to talk to her. She annoys him; a girl too frail and gentle _(and just doesn't seems to be a good ninja) _and he wonders what she's doing here, wearing a hitai-ite and pretending to be a Kunoichi. Kurenai is like a mother hen and doesn't teaches him anything useful _(because he doesn't needs Genjutsu; all he needs are his fangs and claws and Akamaru)_.

Her eyes creeps him out and reminds him far too much of the Uchiha Sharingan.

3. He was the first person in team 8 to kill. He was fourteen and _still too young_ and he killed a Rock Shinobi by tearing his chest apart with his _bare hands_. He had nightmares for weeks and every time he close his eyes, he could see the man hateful eyes before he died and the blood on his hands that _just won't washed out _no matter how much he scrubs.

4. It was the first time he cried _(because in a family of savage beasts, you can't afford to show your weakness by crying)_. Surprisingly, it wasn't empathetic Kurenai-sensei or too silent, yet understanding Shino or gentle, sweet Hinata who comforted him. It was Ino _(beautiful, seductive Ino who he never thought is capable of killing a human being)_ that sat down beside him, look him in the eye and said in a quiet voice that sounded too old on her, "I understand. I'm here for you."

He had been close to her ever since.

5. When he heard Naruto had come back from his training trip, he couldn't explain the butterflies swarming in his stomach. Than he realize he was nervous in seeing the laughing, determined blonde. He realized that he never really knew Naruto, and it kills him knowing this because the blonde was the first person who had accepted him. It confused him when he felt his feet taking him towards Naruto house dead in the night. Naruto wasn't sleeping, and he knows _he _is watching him as he lay on the roof. As the sun rises, he turned and stared into his eyes.

"Welcome back, idiot." He told him. As Naruto lips turned upwards, he felt the butterflies settle.

6. He was sixteen when he found out about the Kyuubi and the Yondaime and the Jinchuuriki. It doesn't really surprise him _(no wonder Naruto always smelt like foxes)_. However, he is surprised to see Naruto watching him anxiously, waiting for his reaction.

"It's okay." He said, and watches as relief filled blue eyes and decided to add. "You're still the moron I know." And than he laugh and dash off before it could register into Naruto brain.

7. He is eighteen when his mother died. He didn't cry. Most would think him heartless, but he knows if he cries, his mother would be disappointed. Because she had died protecting _him_. Kiba resolved to grow stronger. He would _never _let anyone died because of him anymore.

8. Kiba would never fall for Ino. Because she's everything he's not. She's vain, weak, annoying and a complete narcissist. But she's also everything he is. Kiba would never fall for Ino. Because he had already fallen for her long before he knows it.

9. He's afraid of getting into a relationship. He seen what it does to his parents. Only Shino knows this _(because Shino is his best friend, and best friends tell each other _everything_)_. He fears the feeling of a heart being broken, the feeling of loving someone till you would sacrifice yourself for them.

Sometimes he would look at Ino and wonders if she would one day leave him. And than Ino would kiss him and he would completely forget about his fears, because the look in her eyes tells him she wouldn't leave him.

10. Ino is a woman ruled by her emotions. She is driven by them and it is because of this one reason he fell in love with her. Kiba fears the day she lost them.

11. Kiba doesn't like thinking of the future. A future where Ino might one day leave him, where his friends would die... he prefers living in the present, where everything is still _alright _and everyone is still _alive_.

12. When Ino curled her hand _(still so soft, so smooth) _into his own rough, coarse one, he pulls them away, because he's ashamed of his hands. It felt as if he's tainting her, destroying her innocence. She took his hands and gently kisses them, and he wonders why he's crying.

13. "I like Akamaru, training... uh, wrestling with the Inuzuka dogs. I dislike bastards who think they're far better than anyone, days when the weather is too hot and people who are weak! My dream..."

He was thirteen and unsure of his dream. He is sixteen and still unsure of his dream. He doesn't know what he's living for, or just what he exists for.

14. When his sister died, it felt as if his world had collapsed. When his father left them, he swore to never allow his family to leave him again. When his mother died, he still held onto the small hope his sister is still with him. When Hana left him too, he broke. It was as if every tiny pieces of his heart that is still holding on after his mother died just simply shatter.

15. It took a long time for everyone to piece him back together. He was never the same again. However, whenever Ino kisses him, he can close his eyes and imagine that he's still thirteen and his mother and Hana are still alive.

16. The day he marry Ino is the day he dug himself a grave and bury himself alive. That's what he used to think.

Now, he makes sure no one close to her ever have to be buried, because he hates the sight of her tears.

17. They would never have a child of their own. Ino understands the risk of being a ninja. Either of them could die one day. Anything could happen in their line of work. If they're lucky, they would live long enough to retire and watch their children grow up. If they're not, they would die with the regret their child _(children) _would grow up alone. They would never have a child of their own.

They understand this, but this doesn't make it any easier. Sometimes, when Kiba sees Ino watching a mother with her child longingly, he wishes he could be stronger. Maybe he could give Ino the joy of having her own child.

18. Ino knows this. It is hard for her to watch a mother and her child. It pained her heart whenever she sees Sakura's son smiling so brilliantly. But she could live with it. If she would choose between having a child and Kiba, she would undeniably, and without hesitation choose Kiba.

19. Contrary what others think, Inuzuka Kiba is not rash, reckless or in anyway, hot-tempered. He acts because he cares. Ino is surprised to find out that he's quite a genius under that brash exterior. He doesn't acts without thinking, and could think up a hundred different ways to defend himself against an attack.

He's not hot-tempered; he is just easily angered, but his anger is not one of fire burning, threatening to consume. He's is an anger forged from ice, a quiet, cold fury that is even more dangerous. He clashes against her own loud and fiercely burning fire and is the only person that ever makes her exhilarated and sends her heart racing beneath her ribcage.

20. Kiba knows the pain of a shattered heart, the feeling of unbearable heartbreak rushing to engulf him and the fear of losing someone you love. He felt the tears and blood, and he still _survived_. He never regrets those painful feelings and tears from morning to night, because he knows without asking that Yamanaka Ino will never leave him.

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_.owari_

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